


Burning Love

by Astr



Series: AU-gust 2020 [17]
Category: Moana (2016), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefighters, F/M, Rarepair, as usual, but cute, crack pair, it's fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25920427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astr/pseuds/Astr
Summary: AU-gust prompt: 17. Firefighters AUEsmeralda is the cook at the fire station. Maui is 100% certain he's going to marry her someday. Here's their story.
Relationships: Maui/Esmeralda
Series: AU-gust 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1853722
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Burning Love

**Author's Note:**

> I was unaware coming into this that Moana has a canon last name, so I refer to her family as the Motonui family. I regret nothing.
> 
> Enjoy this shameless crack.

\--

"What can I say except you're welcome?"

Esmeralda rolled her eyes, glancing pointedly at the cheesy, giant of a man in front of her.

"It was a grease fire. Not that uncommon in a kitchen. Especially not in a fire house kitchen," she pointed out, carefully removing the damp cloth that had been covering said grease fire, dropping it into the sink.

"Mmm, perhaps, but as a fire fighter, and the love of your life, I get to be dramatic about these things."

She couldn't help laughing at that. Maui had always been like this, declaring the moment he met her that she was the one for him. Honestly, she couldn't deny the attraction, but having just come from a broken, abusive situation, she couldn't see it and had told him, in no uncertain terms, to fuck off.

But he was a stubborn one, and eventually started properly wooing her. First, he had introduced her to his god-daughter Moana. An incredibly bright and spunky girl out here in the wild to earn a degree (she managed to graduate high school at 16, the plucky girl) and do some good, to be able to support her family later. 

She learned quickly that Pacific Islanders had massive families, and few boundaries from making omeone outside feel like part of the family. It was nice, the sense of community. She hadn't realised how much she had missed it.

Then, once she was firmly integrated into the Motunui family after visiting Moana's home during a break, Maui really turned the heat on, so to speak. As the primary cook for the station, she was never far from him, and he took advantage. Flowers, sappy poems, delicious foods from back home, he really knew how to worm his way into her heart.

But she would never forget the stupid grin he wore the first time she surprised him with a kiss. It had been worth the teasing from the other firefighters that had immediately followed. She knew she was really in trouble then, if the whoop he gave as she went back down to her kitchen was anything to go by. She didn't mind all that much. Trouble made life more fun.

They went on regular dates after that. Though a "date" really meant anything from the weekly grocery shopping for the station pantry, to catching a movie on a weekend, to him sitting and chatting while she repaired some torn clothing, to cheesy walks on the beach, talking about everything and nothing.

They spent a solid year and a half like this, in this weird-but-comfortable stage of being both best friends and clearly in love with each other. She was happier than she could remember being in a long time. Didn't help that he could make her smile just by giving her a look, or that now she worried twice as much when he went out on a call. He seemed both indestructible and delicate all at once to her, like he could weather any storm, but was also in constant peril in the field, despite how good he was at his job.

He got hurt a couple of times, badly. Collapsing doorway, smoke inhalation when he gave his mask to a kid, broken arm from falling in a smoke-filled apartment.

So did she, to a lesser extent (though one time the propane for the grill had been turned up a touch too high, and she consequently lost her eyebrows for a while). 

Somehow they survived everything life tossed at them.

They had talked marriage exactly once, in a roundabout way, talking about old fantasies they had as kids, how she would admire the clothing of the brides, patchwork and colorful. He mentioned his childhood refusal to ever consider the notion of marriage, that he was to be a great adventurer and warrior. It was a good talk. Fun. Warm.

It was during another visit to the Motonui family that Maui finally proposed to Esmeralda, with a ring he had made himself from petrified wood and beautiful iron. She hadn't been expecting it at all, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world to say yes. They were married two weeks later.

The family and the crew at the station had pulled together and each had found and sewn a patch to a skirt. It wasn't the same as the wedding skirts of the Court, but she liked it much better, and sobbed happy tears for an hour after she was given it by Moana.

Their honeymoon was to a remote island, of course, and Maui was annoyingly satisfied when she found out she was pregnant a few months after. But it was all for the best, as he became the greatest husband in the world to her, doting but never smothering despite his desire to. He made all kinds of vows and promises about shielding her and their child from all harm, of always coming home no matter what. It was cheesy, cliche, and adorable. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Now, two years later, he was still the man she loved. Still protective but respectful, even if he felt it was his personal duty to stop every fire near her that ever occured (she had given up on trying to make anything flambe), but that was fine.

"Well, then, thank you I guess, Oh great Maui. Where would I be without my big strong man?"

He grinned and picked her up, still like she weighed nothing.

"I dunno. Don't much care either. You're right where you need to be."

"In the kitchen?" Her smirk was deadly.

"No. In my life."

Well dammit. He just couldn't be un-smoothe ever, could he?

"Happy anniversary, my love," she murmured, leaning up to kiss him. He still got that dumb grin whenever she did. It had become very endearing.

"Happy anniversary. Now. What say we blow this joint and sail away somewhere a little more private, mm?"

"Oh yeah? Like where?"

"Mmm, our home. Take the rest of the day off. Take a break."

"Well, I suppose, only if the others okay it."

"They have. Promise. I may have threatened to have my wicked way with you in a closet otherwise."

She snorted at that. Like they could even fit.

"Well thanks for not doing that."

"What can I say except you're welcome?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my shameless crack pairing, and come back tomorrow for some original characters!


End file.
